By Joe Koizumi

Unbeaten ex-amateur champ Yudai Shigeoka (4-0, 2 KOs), 105, barely acquired the vacant WBO Asia Pacific 105-pound belt as he edged former OPBF titlist Tsukasa Koura (15-2, 10 KOs), 104.75, by a hairline majority decision (115-113 twice, 114-114) over twelve close rounds on Friday in Tokyo, Japan. With his twin brother Ginjiro Shigeoka’s relinquishment, WBO AP#3 Yudai was given an opportunity to dispute the belt with more experienced WBO AP#2 Koura. They too often mixed up to clinch each other and had it difficult to score until Yudai seemingly swept the last three rounds with countering southpaw lefts.

Originally it was scheduled to be a title twinbill, but the Japanese bantamweight title go for the vacant belt was disappointedly canceled at the weigh-in. A contestant named Ikuro Sadatsune (11-4-4, 4 KOs) didn’t appear at the weigh-in, where his opponent Kyosuke Sawada (14-2-2, 6 KOs) already made the 118-pound limit. Sadatsune reportedly became sick due to his severe reduction of weight, and he will be duly punished or suspended by the JBC. They previously battled in quest of the vacant title only to a second-round technical draw this July, and this rematch was booked accordingly.

Promoter: Dangan Aoki Promotions.